Barbarian Fenix Xo
by cxenon
Summary: Fenix Xo the barbarian journeys through Sanctuary fighting demon and angel alike. Fueled by vengeance, he will stop at nothing to see heaven and hell destroyed. Joining him in his journeys is the enchantress Eirena... who just might be his salvation. Takes place during the Diablo 3 storyline, with many changes. Please read and review.
1. Chapter 1 Prologue

**AN: Prologue takes place some years prior to Diablo 3 storyline.**

The earth was parched and cracked, glowing with an infernal pallor. The white-haired giant raised his axe and scythed it down, splitting the earth and rending his demonic adversaries; his breaths came in ragged gasps, testament to his exhaustion and signifying his flagging ability to cope with the neverending hordes.

_Slash, block, dodge, smash._

The barbarian knew not how long he had fought, only that he could not fall. A hunchbacked beast launched itself over the bodies of its comrades, barelling into the man's muscled body and winding him; With a ragged yell the barbarian smashed his elbow into the monster beating it to the ground before cleaving its head into two and soaking the soil in its blood.

More beasts rampaged towards him. Some of them sported multiple heads, their grotesque mouths lined with sharpened teeth and slobbering tongues, while others had infernal symbols carved into their pale skin, their bones warped and piercing out of their flesh; they charged up the incline, gnashing, crashing and bashing through the weathered barricades, intent on feasting on human flesh.

"Stand fast! Give the women and children time to flee!" Came a booming, imperious voice.

_Yes... I must fight! For our future, for the survival of our tribes and families!_

_I will not die, not yet!_

Steeling his resolve, the white-haired barbarian waded forward, through the thick demonic blood that ran like rivers down the mountain. He could see his own friends, roaring and chanting their battle-cries in a stoic refusal to admit defeat; as if by magic, the line of human warriors hacked and slashed at the hordes with renewed vigour.

But for all their strength and fortitude, they were only human.

One by one, the warriors fell, sinews bursting with leeches and plague flies before their flesh hit the ground. Little by little, the line of defenders wavered as they were whittled down by overwhelming numbers

With a final unrepentant yell, the warriors charged into the maw of hell, swinging their wicked blades with frenzied abandon; at the head of the human warriors stood a ebony-haired barbarian, tall even among his people, a giant amongst giants. With unconquerable rage he swung twin poleaxes, cutting a bloody swathe in the beastial tide. His had been the voice that had inspired the defenders to greater ferocity.

"Chieftain Vox fights with us! We cannot fail!" Came the voice of the chieftain's adviser Vakra Tol.

With a combined cheer, the barbarian warriors pushed onward heedless of their wounds. "We fight!"

The white-haired barbarian submerged himself in his berserker fury, eviscerating a snorting goatman and disembowelling another.

The battle dragged on, with the wrathful protectors bearing down upon their adversaries; but just when it seemed they had gotten the upper hand, a deep sense of foreboding welled up in the hearts of every warrior.

At the base of the mountain, the dark portal to hell stood open, with imps, goatmen, devils and harpies flooding from its depths. And deep within, something else stirred.

All of a sudden, the temperature plummeted. Blood instantly coagulated and the sky turned dark. A single foot stepped through the portal, followed by another... and another... and another... until the lion-faced creature finally revealed itself. It sported a multitude of legs and it barked out incomprehensible commands to its legions.

The din of battle ceased, disturbing in its immediacy.

Then it addressed the human warriors, now standing stock-still and breathing raggedly; its voice was deep and rumbling, as though the earth trembled with every word, "**Do you not understand that it is futile to resist? You would spare us much difficulty by laying down your weapons and fighting with us.**"

Growls and spits answered the demon's words.

A sibilant hissing sound escaped from the demon's mouth, as though it were sighing. "**As Buer, the 10th Commander of Hell's Legions, you understand that I do what I must.**"

Before it could finish, Chieftain Vox charged at it, swinging wildly and foaming at his mouth. With a nonchalant snort, Buer gestured at the man, causing him to explode in a shower of gore and slime.

"**Complete your task, minions.**"

With that, the beasts fell upon the barbarians.

The white-haired defender could feel the blood pounding in his ears; as he turned, he a comrade fall, head split by the blade of a one-armed goatman. Showered in brains and blood, he swung at the beast, who blocked the wild swing easily. With bone-shattering force it manoevred the hilt of its axe under the barbarian's guard and smashed him straight in the midsection, flinging him several metres away.

_I... cannot fall._

_So long as my name is..._

_Fenix Xo._

With a final breath, he succumbed to the darkness amidst the howling of battle-crazed fanatics.

**AN:please review!**


	2. Chapter 2 Salvation In The Howling Cold

**AN: Tell me what you think of chapter 2!**

With a gasp Fenix shot up, axe in hand.

He looked around, only to see the dying embers of a flame he had kindled merely hours ago.

_That's right… It's just a dream…_

Fenix sighed, but he did not know whether it was out of relief or exhaustion. The past few days had seen him trekking across the snowy Alps without sleep or food, and it was by sheer luck that a small avalanche revealed the cave he was resting in; nevertheless, he was hungry, and he knew that he could not last for much longer without sustenance.

_If only it were just that… just dreams._

_But the demons, they took away my home, slaughtered my people. I shall destroy them all, wherever they may reside._

With a muffled grunt he pushed himself to his feet and pulled his cloak over himself. Hefting his worn axe, the barbarian pushed through the thin sheet of fur he had hung at the entrance to the cave. The sky was relatively clear, and the strong snowfall had long since tapered off – he would hunt, and he would eat and live so that he could destroy his sworn enemies.

And so he trudged onward into the cold ever-winter night.

* * *

The woman stumbled to the ground, gasping for air. Her short breaths were visible in the cold, and she allowed herself but a moment's respite to regain her bearings.

Then she heard the familiar skittering sounds behind her, and she sprung to her feet and fled, fuelled by desperation and fear.

_They're coming! I have to run… I have to hide…_

Her cheeks were sunken and her legs unnaturally thin, evidence of the starvation she had been forced to endure; by a pure stroke of luck she had managed to escape from the lair of her arachnid captors, but she knew she could not long evade the intelligent creatures.

Again she stumbled and fell, this time face-first into the cold, biting snow. The strength was gone from her limbs, but still she fought against the cruel fate the gods had bestowed upon her.

_No… I cannot die here. I have a mission to accomplish, a mission I was born and bred to fulfil. I cannot fail, not after coming so far…_

The arachnid chittering grew closer, and the woman mustered the last of her strength to stand – only to come face to face with a million crimson compound eyes.

At that moment, her knees buckled, unable to support her weight any longer. She knew the end had come.

The eight-legged creature lunged, intent on devouring its prey whole; and it would have if not for the serrated edge that cleft its face. The woman whimpered weakly, turning to behold a well-built man with unruly white hair walk closer and free his axe from the twitching corpse of the spider.

Then his spoke, his voice gruff and deep, "A moment later and you would be spider-food."

Still unable to fathom that she was still alive, the woman muttered weakly, "Wait… more are coming…"

As if surprised, the man turned and replied in that aged voice of his, "So you speak the language of my barbarian forefathers? Intriguing."

"More spiders… must run… please, help me…" the woman pleaded pitifully.

"More spiders means more food for me." The man replied gruffly, wielding his axe once more and scanning the landscape for signs of an incoming enemy.

All that his ears could discern was the incessant howl of the wind.

At once, more spiders burst from the snow-covered ground, their skin bleached and their legs tipped with poisonous barbs. Exploding into action, the man smashed the hilt of his axe into a charging arachnid's hardened midsection, cracking the tough exoskeleton; with a swift motion he brought the blade down upon its struggling head. Behind him another of the creatures pounced, legs poised to impale the large man; with a loud grunt the barbarian twirled around and swung his axe in an uppercut that caught the arachnid in the head.

The woman watched in awe as the white-haired barbarian unleashed a whirlwind of death upon his enemies, chopping and eviscerating with unmatched precision. In a matter of minutes, the skirmish was over, and the man immediately set about hacking at the dead bodies of the spiders.

Looking dumbfounded at the spider limbs strewn haphazardly in the snow, the woman inquired weakly, "W-what are you doing?"

Pausing, the man turned concentrated his piercing gaze upon the huddled figure that had questioned him. "Gathering food. Spiders are the only thing you can eat around here. Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

Wincing at the prospect of eating her former captors, the woman replied, her tone unsure, "My name…? It's… Eirena. I… don't know how I got here, only that I have been trapped in the spiders' lair for the past two nights…"

Eirena knew she could not risk revealing her mission, a mission she had slumbered for fifteen hundred years to complete. It was a new, fascinating world; but it was also a dangerous world, as her ordeal in the spiders' lair had shown her. She knew not whether the man before her harboured any ill intent, but figured she stood a better chance at surviving with him.

The barbarian turned his eyes downward, continuing his grisly work. Without glancing back at Eirena, he spoke again, "Memory loss? No matter, you have done me a favour leading the spiders here. I myself have not had a meal in two days."

Soon, the man had gathered a large sack of sickly pungent meat nobody in their right mind would consume. Without a second glance at Eirena, he set off in the opposite direction.

Pushing herself to her feet, Eirena called out frantically, "W-wait! Where are you going! You can't leave me here!"

Wobbling forward on unsteady feet, Eirena attempted to catch up to the large man; the woman's body had, however, long since reached its limits, and she stumbled yet again to the ground.

"You can't leave me! I'll die!" she called out once more. No one answered, and her cries echoed listlessly in the vast snowy expanse.

"I'll die… and fail…" She muttered._ Damn it… it's no use._

"So you will." A familiar voice responded. Looking up, Eirena once again beheld the man, dressed in a thick fur cloak. "Why should I save you?"

"I… I can use magic…" she muttered meekly.

At this, the barbarian's interest seemed piqued. "Oh? So you can detect demonic magic as well?"

"Yes…"

In a single motion the man stripped the fur cloak off his own body, revealing a tough muscled torso criss-crossed with numerous scars and cuts accumulated through the years. Wrapping the cloak over the shivering woman, who was dressed in little more than rags, the man hefted her with ease and set off.

* * *

"So what is your name?" Eirena asked.

The man grunted, stuffing his face with gooey brown coagulation. The woman rubbed her numb extremities, basking in the warm glow of the fire the barbarian had set with a few wooden planks. The gruff male had taken her to a small cave, where they were currently taking refuge from the cold.

"So… what do people call you?" The woman inquired again.

"Shut up and eat." The man said coldly, handing her more of the sticky brown _thing_ he called food.

Nibbling daintily on the foul substance, Eirena tried once more to spark a conversation, undaunted by her companion's gruffness. "You know… back in my land people use magic to do everything… like start fires, or even to hunt…"

"You can use magic to keep a fire burning?" the man responded suddenly, startling Eirena slightly.

"Ahh… yes! Yes I can."

Pausing in his meal, the white-haired man said, "Good. I used the last of the firewood I collected in the Badlands. Use your magic to keep us warm for the rest of the night; tomorrow, I intend to leave this godforsaken place."

"Okay…" Eirena replied, before taking the chance to prod at the man's identity. "Umm… what is your name?"

The man looked straight in her eyes, his black pupils meeting her brilliant sapphire pools. "My name is Fenix. Fenix Xo."

**AN: read and review!**


	3. Chapter 3 Summon The Demon

**AN: Chapter three, please enjoy!**

* * *

The snowy landscape stretched out farther than the eye could see, and in the distance the jagged edges of great mountains pierced the heavens. From his vantage point above the cave, Fenix sat, observing the horizon and calming his mind. His dreams were often filled with darkness, but of late, the nightmares came more frequently, disturbing his sleep and weathering his mental faculty.

The man looked above; the sky was devoid of clouds and snow, and the temperature had risen to a somewhat more bearable temperature, but what caught his attention were the shooting stars that arced across the sky. Narrowing his eyes slightly, Fenix concentrated upon the fiery objects.

_No… not shooting stars, but something else. Perhaps some other natural occurrence._

The arcs of fire soon disappeared from sight, their trajectory taking them behind the mountains.

As the first rays of sunlight struck him, Fenix sighed, and sadness welled up unbidden within his heart, causing him to promptly forget about his observation.

_How we wished the sunlight could have come then, if not to save us, at least to give us hope. We fought through thick and thin, we weathered the most elemental of storms, but no matter how much we wished for it, respite would never come._

"Fenix?" A small voice called.

Fenix furrowed his brow, too absorbed in his thoughts to answer.

_No matter how many hellspawn charged us, no matter how many fell to the minions of Satan, we stood our ground, believing that our sacrifice would be our children's' salvation. But even they, even the defenseless, even the-_

"Fenix!" Eirena called urgently.

Promptly jolted out of his contemplative thoughts, Fenix jumped down the overhang, landing right in front of the smaller woman.

"Eep!" Exclaimed Eirena, evidently startled by her companion's sudden appearance. "You scared me! Where were you? You weren't in the cave when I woke up…"

"Nowhere." responded the man.

The magic-user seemed to mull over his answer for a moment, before rambling, "Well, technically you can't be nowhere, because you have a physical body, so no matter where you were, you would have to be somewhere-"

"Shut up." Fenix growled, cutting Eirena's words off mid-sentence. "You were calling me, so what did you want?"

"Oh yes…" Eirena said, suddenly stiffening. "There is a dark aura emanating from the distance. It's too far away to pinpoint exactly where it is, but it seems to coming from the West…"

"I see. We'll set off immediately." Fenix stated tonelessly, setting stripping the cave of his belongings.

"H-hey wait! I've not had breakfast yet!" Eirena said, flustered.

"Stop whining. Eat the leftovers while we walk." Fenix said brusquely. "I don't have much warm clothing, so you'll have to do with the cloak you're wearing and the hides over there."

Nodding sullenly, Eirena did as she was told.

* * *

Fenix set an unforgiving pace, and Eirena was hard-pressed to keep up. The duo trudged through the snow-covered ground, hardly stopping for any rest. Finally, Eirena could take it no more, and dropped to the ground, panting heavily. "Fenix… let's take a rest for a bit… let me catch my breath…"

"Hn." The barbarian grunted. "We'll rest for a while. Are we close to the source?"

Eirena pushed herself on her back, and closed her eyes, forcibly calming her erratic heartbeat. Silence reigned for a moment, before she opened her eyes once again and replied, "It's still some distance away. I'm not sure, but it seems… it _feels_ strange. It's nothing like I've ever sensed before…"

"Some ability to sense magic." the man muttered, eyes staring at the magic-user. "If we get close enough, I'll know if it's demons or not."

"Oh… um…" Eirena stuttered. "Well, my skills lie mainly in illusions…"

"Let's get going." Fenix ordered. Eirena got to her feet, lacking even the energy to groan; as she moved forward however, she stumbled again.

Fenix looked back and narrowed his eyes. It s_eems like she's still suffering from the effects of starvation. Well, I can't expect her to recover that fast, and the spiders weren't all that nutritious._

Sighing, he advanced on the smaller woman, and picked her up as if she were weightless. "We'll never get there at your speed."

The surprised woman could do little more than nod silently.

* * *

_-Three Hours Later, Noon-_

Fenix sniffed the air, hand gripping the hilt of his axe. There was definitely something amiss.

"Mmf! What's happening?" Eirena asked from the man's back.

"You should be the one telling me." Fenix muttered. "We're close now; even I can sense the arcane energies."

Fenix could see a tower in the distance, not two hundred meters away. Not another soul could be seen in the vicinity, not even atop the tower's platform.

Advancing cautiously, he soon found himself looking at the largest crater he had ever seen; the ground was charred and blackened, and it was as if some great fireball had fallen from the sky and impacted at this very location. What was most intriguing was the man-sized entrance carved in the cliff at the opposite side of the crater.

"Someone must be here! I can sense magic… foul magic!" tittered Eirena.

"Hmm." Fenix frowned. "Get off my back and wait here. I will check inside."

"I can come along! I'm sure I can-" Eirena started.

"No. You have yet to recover from your previous ordeal, and I highly doubt you could be of use against an angry horde of enemies." Fenix said bluntly before leaping down into the crater. He landed on his feet, impacting upon the ground with such force that the soil was tossed a metre into the air.

Without pausing for breath, the white-haired man charged through the entrance, axe in hand.

* * *

_It's been so many years since my lord last graced me with his presence… Oh how I long for his warmth!_

Vizreel Toph knew he could not fail now. Years and years of preparation would culminate today, in this final ceremony beneath the icy plains of the Northern Steppes. Around him his fellow worshipers chanted beautiful hymns of glorification and words incomprehensible to the uninitiated. Yes… today would be the day his Lord Belial walked the earth again.

He was simply one of many that wished for the liberation of Sanctuary, and a place beside his Queen, Maghda and his most Holy Lord Belial. He had worked tirelessly, toiled without rest for so long… and now his task would finally be completed. Finally, he would earn the praise of his Queen, earn the right to sit beside her in Hell.

Vizreel sighed blissfully, mind wandering to fantasies that would soon be made real. What pleasures he would experience, what glory he would gain!

_Yes! My Queen, soon I will join you in the exaltation of the Lord!_

_There were times, I admit, when I felt victory would never be achieved, when I felt as though I was one among so many faceless servants. I know too well that Lord Belial and his brothers have agents all across Sanctuary, performing similar rites of sanctification… but time and again, you, my Queen, you have appeared before me and reassured me. My Queen Maghda, you were the one that took away my doubt and distress, and to be with you, I could do anything!_

_I shall open this gate to hell, and join myself with you!_

The chanting rose in volume slowly and subtly, and the runes inked upon the floor glowed with increasing intensity. Red fluid seeped from the pores of the stone altar, as if it were bleeding, and unholy energies coursed through every fiber of Vizreel's being.

_Yes! I feel the power! I feel my power as Vizreel Toph, High Priest of the tenth legion of Lord Belial!_

Then the chanting stopped, and total silence descended.

Vizreel stepped forward, and emitted a high-pitched yell, before whispering more infernal syllables, repeating them over and over again, as if they were a sacred mantra of offering.

He could hear his brothers joining in, whispering softly, and slowly, their voices rose once more in a crescendo of cacophonous chorus. The chanting reached fever pitched, but still they continued, fueled by zealous fervor.

The temperature rose to unbearable degrees, scorching the skin of those who were performing the rite. Vizreel's throat was parched, but no matter how much it burned, he persevered, holding his hands out in an expression of deference to his unholy master.

Slowly, the red fluid bleeding from the rock altar coagulated and blackened. One of the worshipers screamed in pain and fell to the floor, twitching spasmodically and coughing blood. His struggle against the invisible force snuffing the life out of him was an exercise in futility, and suddenly, he jerked upwards, arcing his back, before falling back to the ground dead.

One by one the worshipers fell and died like flies, until only Vizreel stood, chanting with unrelenting determination. The blackened blood emanated a putrid stench as it transformed into a red-rimmed portal to the pits of Damnation; an expression of pure ecstasy and delight was etched onto Vizreel's face, and he drooled uncontrollably.

"... this I pray, I sanctify and affirm. Rise from the depths, armies of Hell!" Vizreel finished, roaring in raucous proclamation. A flash of crimson light exploded from the depths of the pitch-black portal, throwing Vizreel down to the ground and cooking him alive. His flesh bubbled and sizzled, falling off his bones in great globs.

Vizreel screamed horrifically, and his last thought was that he had been denied his rightful place beside his one love.

* * *

_Yeeeeeeeaaaaaa!_

Fenix flinched, tightening his grip upon the hilt of his weapon. Glancing around cautiously, all he could see were haphazardly strewn rocks and a few rusty pickaxes.

_What the _hell _was that?_

The scream echoed through the dank corridors, chilling the barbarian to the bone. _A banshee?_

The man pressed forward, only to come to a fork; an unnerving red glow seemed to emanate from the right tunnel, and he plunged straight into it without hesitation.

Blood pounded in his ears as he delved deeper into the tunnel; small beads of sweat materialised on his forehead, and he was suddenly aware that the temperature was slowly rising.

He strained his ears, trying to hear something, _anything._

_Aaaaaaaaaah!_

The deafening cries picked up once more, and the man barreled forward. He could hear the yells getting louder through the stone walls of the tunnel, the all-too-familiar sounds of tearing flesh punctuating the terrible emissions.

_No doubt about it! Demonspawn!_

The din of slaughter grew ever louder as the barbarian sprinted on. He reached the end of the tunnel, and looked through the two holes punctured through the wall. A grisly scene of blood and carnage met his eyes; the chamber was awash in blood, and the gaping maw of a portal to hell sat open upon a glowing stone altar. Obese horned demons sat on their haunches, cannibalizing the flesh off of the vaguely human corpses upon the floor.

_We meet again, demonspawn! I shall eradicate you all! For the glory of Bul'Kathos!_

The barbarian could feel his rage rising, and he gave in completely to the frenzied feelings, allowing it to overwhelm his senses. He knew not how or why the demons were there, nor did he care that they had slaughtered those humans inside the chamber; all he knew was that they were his enemies, and they had to be destroyed.

He smashed the thin wall down and leapt into the searing hot room, swinging his axe in a wild berserker-fury. Capitalizing on the demons' momentary surprise, he cleft the skull of a hulking abomination, spilling brains and yellow pus all over himself; whirling around, he smashed the side of his blade against the head of a winged harpy, sending it tumbling to the ground. Without wasting a moment, he brought his boot down upon its skull, spattering the floor with grey matter.

The demons recovered quickly, and even as Fenix cut down his opponents with relentless vigor, more demons flooded through the portal.

An imp pounced on the wildly flailing barbarian, biting into his thick shoulder with sharp fangs; Fenix roared, but the adrenalin flooding his veins made sure he could barely feel any pain. With his free arm, he ripped the imp off, pulling his flesh and muscle along with it. In a single swift motion he sliced the struggling monster into two.

Fenix glanced at the portal, and to his chagrin he witnessed two disease-ridden obesities tumble out. Still in the grips of his berserker haze, Fenix charged them, hacking and slashing until they were little more than gobs of bleeding flesh.

The intensity of the red light was increasing, so much so that Fenix could not risk looking at the portal or risk being blinded by its radiance. Nevertheless he could hear the gibbering and snorting of the denizens of Hell as they rushed out of the widening portal not a hundred paces from him.

A skeleton wielding an over-sized mace shambled towards him, swinging its heavy weapon in a wide arc. Fenix rolled forward, pushing himself up into a crouch and severing the skeleton's leg before finishing it off with a boot to its ribcage.

A roar erupted behind him, and he turned, just in time to avoid the snapping jaw of a three-headed dog. The beast charged again, pouncing upon him and hitting his axe out of his grip; snarling bestially, Fenix forced the dog up into the air, throwing a fist at its midsection.

"Look out behind you!" A voice called.

Fenix could barely register the words in his anger-induced haze, and by the time he had turned, he was staring straight at the gaping maw of a goatman.

_Damn it! Too late to dodge!_

A powerful blast hit the monster in the side, smashing the charging goatman to the side.

Fenix lost no time in retrieving his axe and bringing it down upon its skull. Turning, he beheld a woman throwing sorcerous fire at the never-ending hordes, and recognition dawned on him

_Eirena! She is more useful than she seemed. Still, we won't be able to last long; I'll have to leave my vengeance to another day._

Pumping his legs in a full-out sprint, Fenix headed toward the Enchantress and grabbed the hem of her cloak, interrupting her mid-spell. Ignoring her strangled yelp, Fenix tore his way out of the blistering heat, and up the winding corridors. Even after he had burst out into the blistering cold, he continued running until he was sure he had left the demon infestation far behind.

* * *

"Why… would you… fight against such impossible odds? You would hardly have survived if I had not found you…" Eirena panted.

"It's personal. I admit I believed I could attain victory; but whether you found me or not had nothing to do with my survival. I would have found a way with or without you." Fenix grunted.

Sighing, he lowered himself to the ground and sat staring at the sky. Noon had past, and it was fast-approaching evening.

_I am not strong enough, not yet. But there will come a time where I will eradicate the demons from this world! No matter that such a feat seems impossible for a mere man – I shall do it anyway!_

"… Fenix?" Eirena called, slowly taking out an old leather-bound tome from under her cloak. "While looking for you, I found this."

Fenix glanced at it, eyebrow raised. "Where did you find it?"

"I came across a fork in the corridors, but I took the wrong path the first time around. It seems I was led to the dorms, where I found many such journals; after browsing through some of them, I decided to take this. From what I gathered, cultists were trying to summon and sustain a demon portal…" Eirena explained.

"And they succeeded. So, you are not useless after all. Come, let us find a cave to spend the night; we will have to find a way out of these lands tomorrow." Fenix beckoned.

* * *

_-A Few Hours Later-_

The small flame flickered, casting a slight yet warming light around the cave. Fenix leaned against the cold surface of the stone wall, staring out into the snow listlessly. He played the events of the day over and over again, wondering whether he could ever hope to resist the Legions of Hell. He knew he was a match for any one, for any hundreds of such monsters, but he also knew the Legions numbered more than any man could imagine. After all, he was simply one man, and there were limits to what a man, a mortal, could accomplish.

Sighing deeply, he calmed himself by listening to the soft snores of his female companion, and for the first time in his life wondered what the warmth of a woman would feel like.

_No matter what I say, I must admit she made escaping that much easier._

Bringing his mind back from its unwelcome wanderings, Fenix decided to look through the journal Eirena had taken. It had been many years since he had last read, but he was thankfully literate in Common, the language of trade and commerce used universally on Sanctuary. He handled the tome carefully, trying not to damage the fragile browned pages; slowly, he turned the first page, noting that the first entry was dated twenty years before, and began reading.

* * *

_Entry #1_

_At last, a chance to break out of this poverty! I am now at Windhelm port, and am currently freeloading off the Boarhide Inn. I snuck inside last night and nobody seems to have noticed me yet. I used the last of my savings last night when I sent a letter back home to my sister, but a new job offer came up: I was milling about the Inn stealing drinks when the bartender wasn't looking when a woman came up to me. And not just any woman; imagine my surprise when I saw how beautiful she was! I can safely say that I was smitten at first sight and would surely have licked her boots if she asked it! Of course, I would have had demanded she sell me her body as payment, but that's beside the point._

_She said her name was Maghda… I guess she's a foreigner. She was talking about hiring me as a simple clerk for an 'organization' of some sort; according to her, the organization has branches all over Sanctuary. And it pays well too. I sail for Wortham tomorrow…_

_Who knows, if I work hard enough, I may be able to save up enough to live a comfortable life with my mother and sister… and a wife… and two children… and grandchildren…_

_As long as my name is Vizreel Toph, I shall make my dream a reality!_

**AN: Please read and review!**


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